FAQs

Here is a list of frequently asked questions. If you have any other questions pick up the phone and ring us on +447404967365 and +2348099994023 email us at info@aerialdronestechnologies.com.

Is Aerial Drones Technologies Ltd licensed by the CAA?

Yes – Aerial Drones Technologies Ltd has the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) “Permission for Aerial Work” PFAW which means as a licensed commercial operator of UAV’s (unmanned aerial vehicles) we are governed and regulated by the CAA.
The Civil Aviation PFAW is mandatory for anyone flying drones for commercial use in the UK. We are happy to show you our approvals.

Are Aerial Drones Technologies Ltd pilots approved by the CAA?

Yes – All our Aerial Drones Technologies Ltd pilots are very experienced and have passed the CAA-approved exams and ﬂight assessments. They all hold the established industry Remote Pilot Qualiﬁcation (RPQ-s) for multi-rotor aircraft under 7kg.

How high can your drones UAV’s fly?

Under CAA regulations we can fly from ground level up to a maximum altitude of 400ft. The airspace for manned aircraft is over 500ft so this leaves a separation zone of 100 feet.

What about flying in wind and rain?

We do not fly in high winds and rain. We can fly in winds gusting up to 22mph. Our advanced camera gimbal system gives very smooth shots in winds of up to about 15 mph.
Our drones can fly in light rain but rainwater on the camera lenses can spoil any shots

What if we have bad weather on the day?

We monitor the weather forecast 5 days in advance of any shoot. If the signs are not good, we talk to the client 48 hours prior to the shoot.
If we both decide to stay with the day and we have bad weather, our pilots will wait on site if possible in the hope of a break in the weather.
If we must re-schedule a date because of weather the booking deposit is transferred to the new date.
Weather is known business risk in the UK and Nigeria so we are as flexible as possible to ensure that bookings can be rearranged.

How long can you fly?

The maximum flight time on a single battery in normal conditions is up to 24 minutes. On average, we fly up to 20 minutes before landing and changing the battery.
We carry spare pre-charged batteries on each shoot. It only takes a few minutes to change the battery and get back in air. So, we can fly all day with very little disruption

Can you fly indoors?

Yes – We can fly indoors but we need space. We have flown in warehouses, studios and for safety we can install propeller guards for indoor flights.
Our drones are battery powered with electric motors so there is no worry about polluting the environment. The dynamics of flying indoors are different. The construction and materials in the building can affect how the drone UAV flies.
95% of the time there are no issues with flying indoors but safety is our number one priority. Only a short flight test can give us the final answer.

Do you hire your drones to 3rd Parties?

No – We only hire our drones along with our own skilled and qualified pilot.
Each of our UAV’s (unmanned aerial vehicles) are registered with the CAA and each pilot needs to be certified and licensed by the CAA.

How many people do you send to operate the UAV drone?

This depends on the job. In most cases, we send a single pilot to client sites. For a more complicated shoot we use two ground stations with a pilot and a separate camera operator.

Can I see what is being filmed?

Yes – We stream the aerial drone footage in real time to the pilot’s remote controller which allows the client on the ground to see what the aerial camera is capturing.
This lets us to adjust the camera pan, tilt, framing and drone flight path as we fly to get the best shots.

Do Aerial Drones Technologies Ltd work outside the UK ?

What is your drone range and speed?

The maximum airspeed of our drones is up to 49 mph. Our maximum range permitted by the CAA is 500m with the pilot maintaining a visible line of sight always to the UAV. Our maximum permitted altitude by the CAA is 400ft.

Can you fly close to people and buildings?

Our CAA approval clearly defines where and how we can fly.
The main operational conditions for a small unmanned aircraft SUA are:
• Maintaining a distance of 50m from people and property not in control of the pilot.
• During take off and landing maintain a distance of 30m from people and property not in control of the pilot.
• Permission of the landowner to take off and land.
• Directly overhead or within a minimum distance of 150m from an open air assembly of over 1000 people.
• Maximum height of 400ft above ground level.
• Maintain visual line of sight of the SUA to a maximum distance of 500m.
• During daylight hours, so that you can clearly see the SUA and take avoiding action from other air users if required.
• Outside of controlled airspace.
• Restrictions apply to certain areas of Central London and additional permissions to fly in these areas need to be sought from the CAA.
• Restrictions and rules apply to flying near an airport and aerodrome.
We can fly in close proximity to buildings and people when we have briefed the owner and have consent of the owner and the people.
This allows us to do close survey work of building, roofs, building sites, hotels and golf courses.

Can you fly complicated flight patterns?

Yes – We have autopilot software we can use to fly very precise predetermined flight patterns for specific commercial applications.
For example for agriculture flying over a 40-acre field, we can preset a horizontal pattern with a 75% overlap on each pass

How much are your service cost ?

Our prices may vary depending on the complexity, associated risks and location of the drone aerial photography. Please call or email us to discuss your plans and requirements.
Each job is unique and because all aerial photography drone flights are covered by CAA regulations. We carry out a detailed online Pre-flight survey before we send you a final quote.

Are drones better than helicopters?

They get different aerial footage and results. Drones can fly closer to the subject, they are quieter, can be deployed quicker as weather and filming dictates, and they are a fraction of the cost of hiring a helicopter and pilot.

What is NDVI?

NDVI is a vegetation index, which is used to detect plant stress, ground moisture, irrigation issues, weeds, crop disease and compare vegetation conditions in various areas of a crop.
NDVI was developed by a NASA scientist named Compton Tucker in a 1977 paper entitled, “Red and Photographic Infrared Linear Combinations for Monitoring Vegetation.”
NDVI is simply a ratio of near infrared (NIR) reflectivity, minus red reflectivity (VIS) over NIR plus VIS. NDVI=(NIR-VIS)/(NIR+VIS)
The NIR reflectivity and red reflectivity should provide excellent contrast between plant and soil and even healthy plants and sickly plants.
It is not a gold standard, but rather an index that works.

It’s confusing the different acronyms for drones - what do they all mean?

Here are the most common ones:
SUA – small unmanned aircraft (used by the CAA)
SUSA – small unmanned surveillance aircraft (used by CAA)
UAV – unmanned aerial vehicle (used by the CAA)
RPA – remotely piloted aircraft
RPAS – remotely piloted aircraft system
UAS – unmanned aircraft systems
UA – unmanned aircraft
You often see them before or after the word drone – UAV drone or drone UAV

Can we have a demonstration?

We are happy to offer a short demonstration flight in conjunction with a site visit.

About us

Aerialdrones Technologies Ltd is an enterprise drone data service and full service remote sensing company, through a fleet of pilots and drones we collect data that helps our clients and businesses to increase yields and decrease inputs. We are partnered with several software and analytics companies around the world.